Control pads of various types are known and used across a relatively wide variety of fields. Typically, such pads include one or more keys, buttons or pressure responsive areas which, upon application of suitable pressure by a user, generate a signal which is supplied to associated control circuitry.
Unfortunately, prior art control pads are somewhat limited, in that they only allow for a single arrangement of keys, buttons or pressure sensitive areas. Standard layouts rarely exist in a given field, and so a user is frequently compelled to learn a new layout with each control pad they use. For example many automatic teller machines (“ATMs”) and electronic finds transfer at point of sale (“EFTPOS”) devices use different layouts, notwithstanding their relatively similar data entry requirements. This can be potentially confusing for a user who must determine, for each control pad, the location of buttons required to be depressed. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that such control pads frequently offer more options than the user is interested in, or even able to use.
Overlay templates for computer keyboards and the like are known. However these are relatively inflexible in terms of design and require a user to correctly configure a system with which the keyboard is associated, each time the overlay is to be used.
One known system involves a smart card reading device intended for the remote control of equipment. Such, for example, allows a television manufacturer, to manufacture a card and supply same together with a remote control housing and a television receiver. A customer is then able to utilise the housing, in conjunction with the card, as a remote control device for the television receiver. In this way the television manufacturer or the radio manufacturer need not manufacture a specific remote control device for their product, but can utilise the remote control housing in conjunction with their specific card. However, the above described concept suffers from the disadvantage in that control data (e.g. PLAY, RECORD, REWIND commands etc.,) stored upon the card, and to be used for controlling an associated apparatus, comes from the manufacturer of the apparatus and is thus limited in its application.
Another known system involves an operating card reading device known as a ‘remote commander’ used for remote-controlling a video device, audio device etc. The operating card of this known system includes a card identification mechanism for identifying which mode the remote commander is operating in and as such what control data is to be transmitted from the remote commander. The operating card identification mechanism can be in the form of either electrodes/notches formed on side surfaces of the cards or identification information stored within the operating cards. The operating card identification mechanism can be configured in order to enable the remote commander to send commands for either a video tape recorder or for a television receiver, depending on the configuration of the identification mechanism. Again, this known system suffers from the disadvantage in that control data (e.g. PLAY, RECORD, REWIND commands etc.,) to be used for controlling the video tape recorder or television, comes from the manufacturer of the apparatus and is thus limited in its application. Further, the operating card identification mechanism must be configured each time the user wishes to change the apparatus to be controlled and is restricted to the operating card such that the identification mechanism can not be used to interact with the video device, audio device etc., to be controlled.
Still another known smart card system includes optics for receiving information from a television channel and a modem for providing real-time two way communication with an application running on a remote service provider. This known smart card system is used for remote service transactions such as an existing home shopping application. In accordance with this known system, information including home shopping program information, an item name, an item description, an item price and item commercial and programming re-run times, can be down-loaded to a smart card. The smart card can then use the access information along with the modem of the smart card to automatically dial a home shopping program automated service computer to place an order. However, again this system is limited in its application since the access information must be down-loaded to the smart card each time the smart card is to be used to purchase an item and can only be used to purchase the item specified by the item name and description.
The above-described systems all lack flexibility and are all limited in their respective applications. These systems are all used with pre-running applications and there is no interaction with the application other than that specified by the manufacturer.